DISPOSABLE

Union Theatre

★★★★★

“finds a way to provide the powerless with a voice in this epic performance”

“At what point does someone have so many flaws, that they can no longer be considered a good guy?” This is the question that Lucy knows that she must ask her friends when their housemate, Jacob, is accused of something awful. The situation is stark enough; Megan, Lucy, Sam and Will suddenly find themselves living with someone who has been accused of rape. The idea seems ludicrous; such awful crimes are committed by terrible people a long way away from the safety of their university house. However, when a bombshell revelation brings the sickening horror of the situation into their own home, the friends are forced to confront something worse than they could have imagined.

Disposable delves into the lives of a group of university students, but more specifically, focusses on the dark path that awaits many young people. Rapidly changing societal norms have turned modern dating into a chaotic, fast-scrolling experiment in connection, something that is so craved but so often seems out of reach, leaving a feeling of being disposable. Social media provides constant comparison between the highlights of other people’s lives and the reality of our own, fuelling the shallow, performance-driven arena that university nightlife can be. These are critical themes, and it is vital that they are given this platform to be laid bare, but these serve as a prelude to the most important subject matter of the play: consent and the guilt and blame that victims feel after the event.

The play is a difficult watch, at times, owing to the darkness of the topics it dares to confront. In the UK, 82% of women over the age of 18 have been sexually harassed, leaving no clearer indication that there is something that we are getting wrong as a society. Becky Bond, who both wrote the show and also plays the role of Megan, courageously tackles these issues and leaves nothing off the page with this script. This feels like a plea to society’s reluctance to have difficult but necessary conversations. The writing is spellbinding throughout, with the mood of the play delicately maintained over the whole performance.

Arguably the most consequential character in the play is Jacob, the man at the centre of these accusations. Jacob is a popular but boisterous individual who thinks that being a “straight, white man”, makes him a target. In most of his interactions, he is so normal that it seems impossible to reconcile him with what we hear. We will all either know or have met people like him. Paddy Lintin is remarkably convincing in this role, demonstrating an incredible emotional range.

The remaining characters Lucy, Sam and Will (Amaarah Roze, Sukey Willis, William Huk) give us further insight, but from the perspectives of friends rather than perpetrator or victim. The endless regret and hurt of those close by is palpable. The direction (Elodie Foray) to extract all of this power from the story is special.

Disposable finds a way to provide the powerless with a voice in this epic performance. There may be no more timely and important show to go and see, with bigger things surely awaiting this masterful production.

DISPOSABLE

Union Theatre

Reviewed on 7th November 2025y

by Luke Goscomb

Photography by Noelle Vaughn

Previously reviewed at this venue:

BLOODY MARY AND THE NINE DAY QUEEN | ★★★½ | October 2025

DEAD MOM PLAY | ★★★ | April 2025

DUDLEY ROAD | ★★ | January 2025

NOOK | ★★½ | August 2024

WET FEET | ★★★★ | June 2024

DISPOSABLE

★★★½

“a tantalising, often moving work”

In the shadow of the Tower, where Tudor ghosts still whisper, a new musical dares to tread familiar ground. Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen is a production of compelling contrasts—historically meticulous yet emotionally reserved, musically ambitious yet narratively cautious.

When it comes to the Tudor period—a historical gold mine that has been thoroughly excavated—any new production might answer one ultimate question: What fresh perspective does it bring? Here, the script wears its research like royal velvet. The portrayal of the “power-hungry Duke of Northumberland lurking in the background” captures the political sickness that infected England as Edward VI lay dying. History is not merely a backdrop but a character—one rendered with integrity, if not quite emotional depth.

Musically, the score is a rich tapestry. Under David Gibson’s spirited musical direction, the live band weaves soul, jazz, and rock into a soundscape that feels both timeless and urgent. Anna Unwin, who co-wrote the show and embodies Jane Grey, lends her a fragile grace. Her recurring theme, tenderly reprised at the close, serves as the show’s conscience—a soft, tragic lament for a queen who never wished to rule. Yet for all its melodic breadth, few tunes linger once the curtain falls.

Where the production truly falters, however, is in its promise of a dual portrait. This is, in truth, Jane’s story. Mary—Cezarah Bonner’s performance simmering with unspoken depth—is left waiting in the wings, her journey from disinherited princess to “Bloody Mary” sketched in shorthand. We hear of her pain, but we are never invited inside it. In a story of two women crushed by the same machine, we only fully witness one. In a dual role, Gareth Hides both writes and portrays Henry Grey, a pivotal contribution to this production

The balance between serious tragedy and comedic relief also feels unsteady. Constantine Andronikou, as Northumberland, impresses with his strong tenor voice. Though the fourth-wall breaks and tonal shifts sometimes clash with the gravity of the subject. The first half builds tension effectively around the political conspiracy, while the second struggles to sustain that momentum—a structural imbalance that leaves the narrative feeling top-heavy.

Visually, the early reveal of the execution block saps the story of suspense—a heavy-handed symbol in a plot that might have trusted its audience to trace the path to the scaffold. The costume design stands out as refined, especially considering the intimate scale of the theatre.

Bloody Mary and the Nine Day Queen is, ultimately, a show of quiet potential. It resurrects history with care but hesitates to reimagine it. It gives us Jane’s heart, but keeps Mary’s soul locked away—a tantalising, often moving work that feels one daring rewrite away from greatness.

Tag Archives: Union Theatre

DISPOSABLE

★★★★★

Union Theatre

DISPOSABLE

Union Theatre

★★★★★

“finds a way to provide the powerless with a voice in this epic performance”